Unbeaten Prattville Hosts Spain Park in Key 6A, Region 3 Showdown

Prattville is off to its best start in nearly two decades, and it hasn't been close very often. On Friday night at Stanley-Jensen Stadium, a Spain Park team in need of a big win will try to end the Lions' run.

Both teams are coming off open dates. Prattville (5-0, 3-0) is one of two unbeaten teams left in Class 6A, Region 3, along with Thompson. Spain Park (3-2, 1-2) has lost two in a row and needs a win to stay in the top half of one of the state's toughest regions.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

By the numbers

Prattville's historic start

The Lions' 5-0 start is their best since 2007, when Bill Clark's team went 15-0 and won the 6A state championship by beating Spain Park at Legion Field.

Bobby Carr's team has scored 272 points in five games, the most in the region, with wins over Niceville (49-7), Stanhope Elmore (68-14), Tuscaloosa County (62-0), Hoover (30-29) and Hewitt-Trussville (63-30).

Quarterback Will McKay leads an offense that can beat teams in several ways. He has completed 74 of 118 passes for 1,442 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. His 288.4 passing yards per game rank second in the region, behind only Thompson's Trent Seaborn. Running back Marterrious Sankey gives the Lions balance with 541 yards and six touchdowns on 85 carries (6.4 per carry).

McKay has plenty of options. Deshawn Hall leads the team with 24 catches for 434 yards and five touchdowns, which ranks second in the region in receiving yards. CJ Brown has 16 catches for 337 yards and six touchdowns and has added 103 rushing yards and two more scores. Christian Alexander (15 catches, 290 yards, 3 TDs) and Kolby King (13 catches, 256 yards, 2 TDs) round out a deep receiving group.

On defense, outside linebacker Jason Crenshaw leads the region with five sacks, and defensive end Caleb Mitchell has 3.5.

Spain Park's path

The Jaguars started 3-0 with wins over Sparkman (17-13), Bessemer City (35-0) and Oak Mountain (42-21) before running into a tough two-week stretch. Top-ranked Thompson beat them 48-14, and Vestavia Hills won 30-7 after jumping out to a 23-0 halftime lead. Spain Park has given up 33 points per game in region play.

Tim Vakakes' offense runs through CJ Davis III, an Auburn commit in the Class of 2028. Davis has run for 544 yards and four touchdowns on 76 carries (7.2 per carry). His 108.8 rushing yards per game rank second in the region, just ahead of Sankey. He has also scored twice as a receiver. Hudson Hibbard adds 172 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Quarterback Nash Davis has completed 64 of 110 passes for 782 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Barrett Price is his top target with 24 catches for 320 yards and two touchdowns, and Connor Greb has three touchdown catches on just 10 receptions.

Defensive end Jaylen Bates leads the Jaguars with two sacks, and Ayden Henderson has seven quarterback hurries.

What to watch

Spain Park's success depends on its running game. If Davis can control the clock and keep McKay and the Prattville offense on the sideline, the Jaguars can keep this close. If the Jags fall behind early, as they did at Vestavia, the numbers show they can't keep up: Spain Park averages 156 passing yards per game, while Prattville averages 288.

The matchup to watch is Spain Park's offensive line against Crenshaw and Mitchell. The Jags have allowed 22 points or more in three of their five games, and a Prattville pass rush that forces Spain Park into obvious passing downs would put the Jaguars in trouble.

The bigger picture

A win would keep Prattville on track for a region title showdown with Thompson later this season. A loss would put Spain Park at 1-3 in region play with road games at Hoover and Hewitt-Trussville still ahead, which would make the playoff race much harder.